Southport Boats Sign New Dealers From Massachusetts to Puerto Rico

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (10/13/11):

Southport Boats (www.southportboats.com), a division of Maritime Marine Group, LLC, is pleased to announce delivery of the latest Southport 29CC from the Maine factory. Rigged with Taco outriggers and twin 300hp Yamaha outboards, this hull is headed to R & B Power in Puerto Rico (www.rbpmarine.com). R & B Power is the latest dealer to join Southport Boats since the new ownership began manufacturing operations at the Augusta, Maine facility.

Since the announcement of the first dealer commitment from Smith Yacht Sales of Hingham, MA (www.smithyacht.com), four other dealers have signed on to represent Southport Boats. Along with its first delivery of a Southport 29CC, Northstar Yacht Sales of Portsmouth, RI (www.northstaryachtsales.com) opened it new offices in the heart of Newport, RI in the New England Boat Works facility while Madaket Marine (www.madaketmarine.com) will cater to Nantucket customers.

Servicing fishing enthusiasts in the area, Montauk Yacht Sales (www.montaukyachtsales.com) will show off its Southport 27CC at two locations, next to Star Island Yacht Club during the summer months as well as at its main offices in Freeport, NY. Knowing the demand for high performance fishing boats, Jersey Marine of Somers Point, NJ (www.jerseymarine.com) has taken delivery of the 29CC Tournament Edition. Jersey Marine’s 29TE ice blue hull will be featured at the Annapolis Boat Show October 13 through 16, 2011.

Southport is also pleased to report that it is poised to announce several more East Coast dealers in the coming weeks, ranging from the Chesapeake to Florida, and is also accepting overseas inquiries. Both continental US dealer inquiries and overseas inquiries should be directed to Tom Johnson (tom@southportboats.com).

When asked about the newly signed dealers, Southport President Ian Kopp stated, “We are pleased to partner with such high quality brokerages and dealers. Their ability to cater to clients wishing to customize their boats is exceptional. From assisting prospective owners with decisions related to helm seating, custom rails or various T-top configurations to supporting existing Southport owners with various seasonal services, our Southport dealers have the ability to deliver.”

Furthermore, Southport’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Peter Galvin, is very pleased with the rapid success Southport is experiencing. Galvin reports, “The response to the new Southport at the Newport Boat Show was exceptional. Existing owners were thrilled to see the improvements to these fantastic boats. And the company was very pleased with the prospects admiring Southport’s exceptional fit and finish and looking forward to experiencing the legendary performance. This kind of immediate success would not be realized without the expertise of experienced dealers like Northstar Yacht Sales and Smith Yacht Sales who were showing off the Southport 27CC and 29 CC.”

Asked how the “new” Southport is different than the old, Kopp stated, “Another important and immediate change is based on the experience our group has building semi-custom boats. Where the “old” Southport tended toward a production boat, the “new” Southport will be a semi-custom production boat making us very different from our competitors in this market segment. While the standard Southport models do not leave much to be desired, we will offer additional features to meet the desires of exacting owners, including everything from wood accents, teak flooring, custom helm seating, to upgraded t-tops and much more. Customers looking for exceptional Hunt4 design performance finished in a yacht-like manner will be thrilled with what they find on a Southport.”

BACKGROUND OF SOUTHPORT BOATS:

In the fall of 2003, an experienced group of boat builders began planning a boat company designed specifically around the unique combination of leading edge technology, offshore racing experience and hours of watching baits. With ideas garnered from experiences with the world’s leading boat brands, the results are striking. The result was the Southport Boats.

Southport boats are designed from the keel up to take advantage of offshore outboard power, the latest in four-stroke engine technology. The economy and quiet power of these new engines is phenomenal, but most offshore boats are still designed around those older outboards. Beamy, with deep vees, Southport hulls are specifically designed around these latest power plants, providing a wide range of planing speeds, and soft, dry ride in rough conditions, all with a sense of style and fishing function unique to Southport.

C. Raymond Hunt Associates created the legendary Southport hull. Continuously-variable deep vee hulls maximize the sharpness of the entry while retaining stability at trolling speeds and at rest. The secret is actually using the heavy weight of four strokes as an advantage in order to allow Southport boats both more beam and deeper vees than comparable competitive models. This combination results in a dry, stable platform with sharp entry and ultra-smooth ride. Best of all, a Southport has a wide range of cruising speeds instead of the more typical all-or-nothing speeds from the competition.

The Southport design is not bound by conventional outboard boat-building thinking. In a Southport, you’ll find electrical systems designed in a yacht-like manner, scuppers that evacuate green water like a custom sport fish, structure learned from attacking six foot seas at three figure velocities, and hull lines that reflect some of the most beautiful boats ever launched.

Perhaps the most important element of a Southport’s design is passion. And it is this passion that Southport has found once again as it moves to Maine where the heritage of boatbuilding craftsmanship and excellence is as long as the rugged coast line. Great boats demand great talent, great materials and a passion for excellence that creates an extraordinary ownership experience. Come visit the new Southport, the perfect blend of the old and the new.